Ololtuaa: The teacher taking over Basic Education docket

Educationist John Lekakeny Ololtuaa was on Tuesday named the new Principal Secretary for Basic Education, replacing Professor Julius Bitok, who was transferred to the Tourism docket, previously held by Ololtuaa.

The changes in the mini-reshuffle were communicated by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei on behalf of President William Ruto.

Born in 1967, Ololtuaa has worked in the education sector for more than three decades, beginning his career in 1993.

He assumes office at a time when the sector is grappling with rising cases of school unrest and fires, which have intensified since the Utumishi Girls Academy inferno that killed 16 pupils on May 27, 2026.

Some schools have opted to close earlier than scheduled to prevent incidents of students burning school property, while others have been forced to shut down due to unrest.

Attention will now turn to Ololtuaa as he seeks to steady the docket, working alongside Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba.

Born in Kilgoris, Narok County, the new Basic Education PS attended God-Ngoche Primary School, where he sat his national primary examinations in 1982. He later joined Sosio Secondary School for his O-Level examinations in 1986, before proceeding to Narok High School, where he sat his A-Level exams in 1988.

He joined Kenyatta University, where he studied a Bachelor of Education (Arts) between 1989 and 1992, later returning to the institution between 2009 and 2012 for a Master’s degree in Education Administration.

He briefly taught at Ulalui Secondary School as an untrained teacher. After completing his university studies, he joined Marani Secondary School, where he taught between 1993 and 1994.

He later served as an assistant teacher at Kilgoris Secondary School from 1995 to 1998 before being promoted to head teacher at Enosoosaen Secondary School in June 1998, a position he held until August 2005.

He then joined the Ministry of Education as a District Education Officer, serving in Suba, Mbita, and Bomet districts between August 2005 and March 2021.

He also served as County Education Officer in Bomet and Kajiado counties between May 2012 and September 2016. During this period, he also served as Narok County Transition Coordinator between February 2013 and March 2016.

He later rose to become Regional Director of Education, serving in Eastern, Rift Valley, Nairobi, and Central regions between September 2016 and February 2022.

Ololtuaa resigned to contest the Kilgoris parliamentary seat on a UDA ticket in 2022, but lost to KANU’s Julius Sunkuli.

During his vetting before the National Assembly in November 2022, he declared a net worth of Sh61 million, comprising of land, vehicles, buildings, livestock and commercial farming interests. He was approved in December 2022 and subsequently appointed Principal Secretary in the Tourism Ministry.

*Will he weather the storm?*

Dr Paul Wanjohi, chair of the Faith-Based Institutions Committee at the Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA), said Ololtuaa was well-suited for the Basic Education docket.

He described him as a “down-to-earth, hardworking” administrator with more than 30 years of experience in the sector.

“When somebody grows in the system, he is well founded,” he said, adding that Ololtuaa’s service in different levels of the sector has seen him gain the required skills and experience.

He held that Ololtuaa’s long tenure in the sector had exposed him to its challenges, making him well placed to address them.

Wanjohi said the PS’s first task should be to convene a national dialogue bringing together stakeholders to address the underlying causes of unrest in schools.

Lawyer and education expert Ken Echesa also described Ololtuaa as a strong pick, citing his steady rise through the education ranks.

“If he applies his mind to it without political interference and if he is given the room to work, he will deliver,” said Echesa.